Never a Gilmore
by Ali-Chan1
Summary: I’m not a Gilmore. I’ll never be a Gilmore. I’ll never live up to Rory. I’ll never be good enough for my grandparents. I’ll never be my mother’s perfect namesake. I’ll forever be Lucy Danes and I’ll never live up to my sister’s life.
1. Prologue

**_Never a Gilmore:_**

_Prologue_

I'm not a Gilmore.

I'll never be a Gilmore.

I'll never live up to Rory.

I'll never be good enough for my grandparents.

I'll never be my mother's perfect namesake.

I'll forever be Lucy Danes and I'll never live up to my sister's life.

I've spent most of my life as an only child, my half-sister was 24 when I was born. My mother likes to tell people that I got the best of both worlds, I had my parents undivided attention most of the time but an older sister who popped into my life. My father would smile and nod along with my mother's comments and whoever they were talking to would immediately launch into the "I read Rory's latest article, it was amazing" song that plays in the soundtrack of my life.

I don't hate Rory, I really don't. That wasn't very convincing was it? It's not that she's ever done anything wrong to me, as a little kid she doted on me and as I got older she was the first person to treat me like an adult. You're probably thinking where's the bad, right? The bad is that I'm not Rory and there's not a day that goes by that I'm not reminded of that. Stars Hollow belongs to Rory and Lorelai Gilmore, they are the queens of this town and anyone will tell you that. And even though I've spent 17 years of my life in Stars Hollow it will never be _my_ town.

I'm going to be 18 in a week and I'm about to break my parents heart. I'm going to drop out of high school, not Chilton mind you, and I'm going to move to New York City and do something fantastic with my life. I'll show them that I don't have to be Rory to be fantastic, and I'll make them all feel horrible for never realizing how amazing _I_am even though I'm not Rory Gilmore. I, Lucille Amanda Danes, am going to climb out of the shadow that is my fantastic, amazing, perfect older sister and show the world who I am.

Don't believe me? I don't believe me either, so it's okay. But my plan is already in the motion, I'm not sure what's going to happen but I have a place to stay in the city and a bus ticket hidden in the battery of my untouched laptop. And in six days and 12 hours I'll be boarding a bus to the city leaving only a note, not a eloquently worded letter, behind to tell my parents that I'm fine and I'm going to leave Stars Hollow and never look back.


	2. Chapter 1

_**Chapter One**_

"Lucy would you hurry, we're going to be late, again." My father's irritated voice breaks in over the sound of the music pulsating through my speakers. In response I turn the volume up louder to drown out his complaints, I can imagine the expression on my father's face, an expression he reserves just for me one of total and utter frustration.

"Lucy!" My mother, of course, she's the only person in the entire world who can yell over the sound of my music, no matter how loud I have it turned up.

With a sigh I shove the last article of clothing in my duffle bag and kick it under my bed and finally I pull my door open, face to face with my mother. "What?" My voice mirrors my father's exasperated one.

"We have to leave," my mother hasn't changed in the four some years she's lived in Stars Hollow, at least that's what people tell me. It's amazing how long someone will go on about topics you don't care about and despite the fact that you make it clear that you aren't interested. "We have to be at your grandparents in 15 minutes, they're going to pitch a fit that we're late."

"Don't I get a "get out of jail free card" since it's my birthday?" Honestly I don't care either way if we go to the Gilmore's for dinner, it'll be the last time I ever have to attend and that fact alone will carry me through all of Emily Gilmore's nitpickings followed by Richard's lecture on how important education is.

My mother deflates in front of me before she states, "well I wanted it to be a surprise, but I might as well tell you."

"Tell me what?"

"Rory's coming to dinner," my mother grins and I know the expected response.

"That's great!" I amaze myself sometimes at how well I can cover anything I feel.

"She wanted to surprise you for your birthday! Isn't that sweet? Doesn't that make it worth it?"

Isn't that sweet? Maybe. Does Rory showing up at dinner make it worth it? Hardly. "Fine, we can go." I grab my jacket from my bed and walk out into the kitchen.

"Ah, jeez, Lorelai can you make her change? I don't want to hear Emily lecture the three of us about appropriate Friday night dinner attire because Lucy can't pick out something more appropriate to wear." My father had stopped trying to give me orders when I was 15, he didn't understand me, I'd been compared to Jess more times in my life then I cared to count.

"Lucy, please," my mother checks the clock on the stove again, "and quickly."

I roll my eyes but oblige, I was about to leave them permanently I might as well make things easier on them in my last couple hours living under there roof, but that doesn't stop me from slamming my door on the way back in. I stare at myself in the full length mirror, I don't take after either one of my parents, I've got short edgy and angular blonde hair with dyed red streaks throughout and deep brown eyes instead of the trademark "Gilmore Girl's" eyes. I'm short and curvy and don't have the Gilmore ability to eat anything and still stay rail thin, a trait my mother and Rory have kept even in their age.

"Lucy, come on please." I've heard stories about how it used to be Rory who'd drag my mother kicking and screaming to Friday night dinners and I'm not sure when that changed. When it became my mom dragging someone to dinner with her parents and not the other way around. Friday night dinners started up again when Emily had a minor heart attack, I guess it made the Gilmore's seem more real to my mother, she realized they weren't going to be around forever. That was when I was seven and we've been going ever since. Honestly I think it was all a set up to get us to go to dinner again because I don't think Richard or Emily Gilmore will ever die.

As a pull a dress over my head a let out a frustrated breath. Dinner at the Gilmore's was hell to me. Maybe that's what made going to dinners so easy on my mom, they had me to take out their annoying nitpicking on. I'm always going to be the child Lorelai had with that common man Luke. They won't pick on Dad, I saw the way my mom went off on them the instant they made a rude comment about him when he wasn't around so they have to settle for me.

"I'm ready," I push open my bedroom door appearing in a simple, boring, black dress.

"Good, let's go," my dad jumps up from his seat at the kitchen table. He hated going to these dinners as much as I do, but he goes without complaint because he knows that it means a lot to mom and he would never try to take that away from her. I've got to hand it to them. They do love each other, in a world of divorce they've stood the test of time.

We pile into Mom's jeep wrangler, it's a new one red one, not the same old brown dad finally convinced her of getting rid of six years ago. And as we drive through Stars Hollow I can't help but watch various scenes play through my head of memories of growing up in this small quirky town. But I push all of this aside, it's not time for dwelling on the past, I'll let that happen when the bus pulls out of the station for now I brace myself for the last dinner at the Gilmore's I'm likely to ever have.

"Rory's here, Rory's here, Rory's here," my mother's words are excited and as always when she's around Rory her maturity level drops. Mom jumps out of the car without even taking the key out of the ignition and dad, while he does think to grab the key, isn't far behind her. I, on the other hand, take my sweet time in getting out of the car, carefully watching my parents hug Rory.

Once I have emerged from the car Rory has thrown her arms around me. Time has been kind to her, and you couldn't tell that she was 42 just by looking at her, "Lucy you look great. Happy birthday!"

"Thank you," I grin at her, I'm good at faking an enthusiasm that matches her, I have after all had nearly 18 years of practice.

"This is for you," she thrusts a wrapped gift into my hands, "don't open it right now though. Grandma's inside pitching a fit about how late you guys are. They kids are keeping her entertained for now though."

"You brought the kids?" Mom's eyes lite up at the though of her granddaughter and grandson being so close to her. Rory lives in Chicago and while she comes to Connecticut often it's usually without Charlotte and Mark.

Emily Gilmore is waiting for us in the doorway and she frowns in my direction the instant we set foot on the walkway, "running a bit behind are we?" I watch as she takes in my appearance, her eyes lingering on the red streaks in my hair. She hates that, a fact she made very clear when I had it done six months ago on a whim but with Emily's first disapproving glance and comment it had stuck. And as I step into the house I know that I can take whatever they hand to me today, because the knowledge that this is the last time I'll be here offers comfort.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

A.N. First off I want to thank everyone for their reviews, they really keep me writing and inspired to write so thank you!

It was over. My final dinner at the Gilmore's. We'd arrived home in one piece and my parents had settled in front of the TV and fallen asleep. They'd only just now retreated up to their bedroom and the house was silent. I'm packing my final things, my camera, my picture album with all of my favorite pictures and finally I pull the battery out of the lap top that I've never opened in the six months I've had it, another "useful" gift from the Gilmore's, and I pull out the ticket I'd retrieved from the bus station. I shove it into the back pocket of my jeans and pushing my window open I drop out my duffel bag and dropping a white envelop on my bed I pull myself up and out of the window.

I pause once my feet have connected solidly with the ground outside, but there's no more sound from the house then there had been a minute ago. Before picking up my bag I push my window shut again and cringe as it squeaks, I pause again. Still no sound. I can't help but feel like sneaking out of your house as midnight should be harder. Of course, it's not the first time I've done it but this time feels different. I'm leaving home, for good, I feel like the hall light should flick on and I should have to make a break for it. My adrenaline starts pumping. Nothing happens. Slowly I pick up my duffel bag and sling it over my shoulder, slowly making my way through the shadows hoping not to wake up any of our nosey neighbors.

The walk to the bus stations is long and slow, my duffel bag is heavy and gets heavier with every step. But I don't stop walking, I've calculated everything perfectly and with the ten minutes it will take me to get to the bus station I'll arrive just as the bus is ready to leave. There's no time for a flaw in my plan. I only have one night, because I know that if the plan get's killed I won't get up the nerve to go again. I almost lost it on the way home, listening to Mom talk about the plans for tomorrow and how Dad was going to cook and there'd be cake. Technically that was all today.

"Happy birthday to me," I whisper into the blackness of the night. Things were so quiet in Stars Hollow and I'm about to trade that in for the constant noise of New York City. And that thought alone pushes me on, Stars Hollow had been my mother's safe haven, sheltering her and her daughter from the cruel world outside. But to me, Stars Hollow had always been small and oppressive, smothering me with their small ways and small ideas. I've been suffocating since the day I was born and I can almost feel the air getting clearer as I move farther and farther through the town and closer to my destination.

"Good evening," the bus driver greets as I step on to the bus. I just nod my response and hand over my ticket. I glance around me quickly before I disapear up the steps, checking to make sure no one has spotted me getting onto the bus. Not that it really mattered, in my letter to my parents I told them I'd be going to New York, where I was staying and how they could reach me. But I didn't want to be spotted, I hate having to answer a slew of questions about things that aren't the other persons business and leaving town mysterious at 1 in the morning doesn't tend to go unquestioned if you're recognized.

I carry my duffel bag onto the bus with me, it's not crowded, I can see one person sleeping in the front seat and with the exception of the driver that's it. I opt for a seat towards the back, not wanting someone else to get on at another stop and decide that since I'm awake I'll be a good conversational partner. I'm not. I never have been. My conversational skills are lacking when it comes to people I don't like, everyone says I take after my dad in that respect. Teachers have always deemed me a "difficult child, hard to get along with and temperamental" it's probably been on every report card since I started school. Teachers would complain about me not socializing and then as soon as I'd find a friend they'd be complaining that we were always getting into trouble. So come Monday when I should be going to school Stars Hollow High won't be missing me and I certainly won't be missing them. The friends I do have there know where I'm going, they've known of my plan for months and already have plans to come visit me.

Reaching into my bag I decide there's no better time then now to look at the gifts that had been given to me just that evening by Rory and the Gilmore's. There's no doubt that both have given me books, not that were was before the gifts were handed to me anyway. The one Richard had handed me before I walked out of the house tonight is heavy and as I pull the paper off, I had to save this for the bus ride out, although I couldn't tell you my justification for it because there isn't one I can understand. Once the paper is off I stare at the book, _The Collected Writings of William Shakespeare._ I can't help but laugh out loud. It wasn't even last week that I'd voiced my distaste for "the bard" so it just figured that they would give me a gift I didn't like, on the inside cover was the inscription "you can't dislike something you've never tried, maybe there's something in here you enjoy." There wouldn't be, but I expected no less from the great Richard and Emily, I'd been receiving gifts from them that Rory would have loved my entire life, on more then one occasion I'd even gotten a "we gave Rory this book, she loved it I'm sure you will too."

With a roll of my eyes I push the heavy book back into my duffel bag, hopefully it'll be heavy enough to make a good doorstop or maybe I can see it back to a used book store. With that taken care of I turn the attention back to the second gift wrapped on my lap, it's wrapped in a deep shiny blue wrapping paper and there's a note that's attached that reads, _Happy Birthday Lucy! Love, Rory, Logan, Charlotte & Mark_ it's a book done by a photographer I love. That's the one thing I have to give Rory credit for, she's the one person who doesn't compare me to herself so she'd never give me a book she'd like to read or music she'd like to listen to. The second one is my mom, she's been attempting to broaden my musical horizon since I was a baby but music has never been my thing, yet another thing that sets me apart.

As I wrestle to get the book back into my duffel bag, it had come out easily but the bag was so full it didn't want to go back in, the bus begins to move with a jolt and I begin the bus journey back through Stars Hollow and then on to New York City. I don't understand the tears that spring to my eyes when we pass by Luke's, I've wanted to do this my entire life. Leave Stars Hollow. Put my sister's life and other people's expectations behind me. But if that's what I've wanted ever since I could remember why am I crying? Shouldn't I be happy, excited to start out on this new part of my life? A life that's in a city where no one knows me, no one has any expectations of me. And why is there suddenly fear gnawing at my stomach?


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

I hadn't intended to fall asleep. The artist in me thought it would it would be fitting to watch as the Connecticut housing and landscape gave way to that of New York's, but somewhere just outside of Stars Hollow I feel asleep. It wasn't a conscious decision, but somewhere in the mix of tears and the six feeling in my stomach I drifted into a solid sleep filled with flashes from my childhood. I wake up when the bus comes to a jolting stop at the bus depot in New York City, I'd missed my entranced into the city but I'm to groggy to care at this exact moment, I have other things to worry about. The wrestling with my duffel bag and the memories that are floating around in my head.

I make it off of the bus in one piece, although I didn't think it would happen, it's a pain in the ass to get a duffel bag through a thin aisle while you're only half conscious. The pre-dawn air is cool and it pulls me out of the last bit of sleep I was hanging on too, I'd saved up money for a cab but the address that's in my pocket leads to an apartment that isn't to far from the bus depot. I've been there and I know it's in walking distance, I'm going to need the money I have carefully saved up for the last year, no need to go blowing it on a needless taxi trip.

The trip takes longer then I expected it to, between me stumbling on the pavement because of lack of sleep and the heaviness of my bag...a heaviness that seems to grow with every street sign I pass that doesn't read the one I am looking for. Oh and did I mention I got lost? Yup, took a wrong turn and ended up having to ask a nice older Indian woman for directions, she sweetly gave them to me in broken English that I could hardly understand. I suppose I understood them well enough to get myself straightened out, but I had to double back about a mile.

I've always been a fairly active person, not sporty per se but I do enjoy running and swimming and occasionally some form of organized sports. But this, this walking a million miles from the bus station to the apartment building was sheer idiocy, but by the time I realize it I'm to close to actually get a taxi like I should have done in the first place. I envisioned this a million times, this walk from the bus station to the apartment building. Envisioned how I'd take in the whole city, everything I walked passed would be burned into my memory or I'd be snapping roll after roll of film.

So far to many things aren't going like I planned them and that makes me more nervous then I'd like to be. But before I even have time to dwell on this fact I've reached the apartment building and I thank whatever god there is in the heavens that I'm looking for an apartment on the first floor, no stairs to try to lug my bags up. Just a couple feet into the apartment building, it's a nice apartment, nothing fancy and it may be a little dirty but for the most part it's been kept up well.

I drop my bags in relief at apartment 4A and ring the doorbell, it's silent for several minutes and I realize that maybe showing up unexpectedly wasn't the best idea. What the hell am I going to do if he's not home? I can't lug all of my damn baggage around New York City. I could be back in Stars Hollow before Mom and Dad even notice that I've left, but before I even have the time to nix that idea I can hear swearing on the other side of the door mixed with the sound of a deadbolt being opened.

"Ah geez," are the first words I am greeted with in this brand new city that's part of my life, of the new me.

"What Jess, aren't you going to wish your favorite cousin a happy birthday?" I lean against the door jam smiling up at my cousin, the expression on his face is funnier then I thought it was going to be.

"No," Jess' response is simple as he shakes his head, he's taken in my bags right away.

"No, you're not going to wish me a happy birthday?"

"No, I'm not going to be any part of whatever crazy plan you've come up with." Jess states.

"Jess, come on, can't I at least come in?" I ask, "I'm tired, I've been on a busy forever."

"Your parents are going to kill me," Jess sighs but he moves out of the way to let me pass, "but you can't stay."

"Why are you doing this to me?" Jess asks as he busies himself in the kitchen, preparing coffee.

"I'm not doing anything to you Jess, I need a place to crash until I can get a job and my own apartment." I've dropped into a chair at his small kitchen table.

"They're going to blame me for this." Jess states as he pushes the coffee filter into the machine, "I'm not taking the blame for this Lucy. You have to go back to Stars Hollow."

"Jess...come on..." My tones whiny but I can't help it, I've hardly slept and I didn't anticipate Jess' reaction.

"You're still in high school, you can't just drop out."

"You did," I point out, "now you're a big shot writer."

"See," Jess points at me, "this is why I'm going to get blamed for this."

"So you're going to make me go back there?" I can't believe that Jess, the guy who was there the day I was born and has been for every big event since., isn't going to back me up. I'm on my feet before I even realize it, "you hated it there as much as I do. I can't believe you're doing this to me."

"What's going on?" Ingrid, Jess' wife of a year, wanders out in a pair of Jess' boxer shorts and a cami. "Lucy, what are you doing here?" Ingrid runs a hand through her dark hair, "did we know you were coming? Did I forget?" That statement was so Ingrid, she was an amazing artist and a great person, but if it's not the art piece she is working on she won't remember anything you've told her.

"No, we didn't know she was coming, Lucy's decided she's running away."

"I'm not running away," I defend myself, my eyes locking on Ingrid she was my best ally when it comes to convincing Jess to let me stay. "I'll call Mom and Dad and tell them that I'm here, I'm not running away..I'm 18..."

"Lucy..." Jess interrupts my words and earns a glare from me as a prize.

"Jess," with hands on my hips I probably look like a child, an angry child, but a child nonetheless.

"Just let Lucy stay, Jess," Ingrid rolls her eyes at her husband.

"Ing," Jess sighs and Ingrid and I share a smirk, it's obvious we're winning this battle. "Luke's gonna kill me."

"It's just for a little while, until I can find a job and an apartment."

"This is perfect," Ingrid yawns and then smiles, "Denise just quit and you have a deadline with the publisher. You don't have the time to go into the shop all the time and Jamie can't run it all of the time either, he's still in school you know."

"Ah geez," Jess runs a hand through his hair. I can't not laugh at Jess' action that so mirrors my father's, "this is not something to laugh about," Jess takes down two mugs from the cupboard and pours himself and Ing coffee. "Your dad is going to kill me."

"So you've pointed out," I nod as I move toward the fridge, pulling out a bottle of water.

"You have to call them."

I swallow hard, this was the part I wasn't looking forward too. I'm not sure how they're going to react, but I know enough to know that it's not going to be pretty.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

An hour and a half later the phone call is over and I'm sprawled out on the couch in Jess and Ing's living room. My head hurts from a combination of the two hours of sleep and the lectures I'd received from both of my parents simultaneously. Dad's pretty pissed, even when we got off the phone he had nothing nice to say, to angry to evenwish me happy birthday...it's not that I blame him but it's turning out to be harder then I expected...this letting your parents down thing. I mean I'm used to it, I'm not what they expected when they had a daughter, but outright letting them down...I dunno, whatever.

Mom on the other hand knew she didn't really have room to lecture me, seeing as I was old and more childless then she had been when she dropped out of school and left home. Ultimately though they were both madder then I've ever heard them, mad at me, mad at Jess (as he'd predicted of course), mad at Ing and made at anyone else they could blame it on. And once everyone had been blamed they started blaming people again, something that went on for about an hour until I told them I wasn't going to listen to it anymore and I told them so just prior to hanging up on them.

Sure, okay not the most mature and rational, adult-like thing to do but they'd left me with little else to resort to. When your parents start blaming your fourth grade teacher for reading you the Boxcar Children and planting this running away idea into your head you've got to draw a line. And so I did. I told them I would call them later when they had calmed down. That I wasn't coming home so they might as well not even bother convincing me to do so. Mom offered me a happy birthday but I couldn't respond all of the emotions running through me were just to much to find the proper response to that.

Once again I'm not reacting the way I had expected to react to this. I thought I would feel an amazing sense of freedom, cutting this tie to my parents. But mostly, right now, I feel guilt for just taking off and leaving on my birthday, I know they had made plans. Dad made my favorite cake. Mom was going to take me shopping. But I had to do it today or I knew I'd never get out. But when I think about it I know that this isn't true, if I'd pushed it back another day it wouldn't have hurt anything, I wouldn't have given up on the dream that I'd been harboring since my 10th birthday when I first started saving for this next stage of my life.

I actually do have quite a bit of money saved up, eight years of saving birthday, Christmas and various other Stars Hollow created holidays worth of money on top of four years working in Dad's diner and not spending anything...let's just say I have enough to make do for a little while. Now that I'm here I feel a little lost but I set my mind to the things that I still have left to do. Find an apartment and a roommate. Ing had gotten me a job at Jess' bookstore, which is fine. Books aren't my passion but I'm smart enough to know that a job is a job.

"I'm leaving," Jess appears in front of me, his laptop bag hanging from his shoulder. "Stop by the store later and I'll run you through everything and introduce you to Jamie." Jess shakes his head, "I can not believe you drug me into this."

"Oh you know you're happy to see me," I can't help but grin up at Jess, he response with an eye roll before he walks out of the apartment. Jess and I have always been close, since day one, literally. He was visiting Aunt Liz when Mom went into labor, Jess was the one who took her to the hospital and he waited with her until Dad showed up. And then he waited in the waiting room until I was born fourteen hours later. He was always around for important things when I was growing up and he always said he was my annoying older brother. Something he proved many times, like when he broke up my first kiss by almost breaking my first boyfriend's nose.

I feel in love with Ing probably before Jess realized he was in love with her. They met about a week after Jess opened his bookstore; the bookstore is really just a hobby for Jess while he writes is psychological thrillers that have sold in the millions. Anyway, back to Ing and Jess. They met the first week Jess had the store open, Ing had just moved to the city after having bought a small store next to the bookstore to show off her art work. Ing wandered into the bookstore looking for something to read in her down time, she likes to read but art will always be her passion. And they just hit it off.

They were best friends for twelve years and on New Years Eve last year they had to much to drink and slept together. That freaked them out so much that they stopped talking for a month, they were to embarrassed and to stupid to deal with what had happened. The day before Valentines Day Ing found out she was pregnant, and there was only one possibility as to who the father was. When she told Jess he freaked out, a lot. Showed up in Stars Hollow freaking out, he just kept saying something about Ing and we were all convinced she'd died. And then the next morning he was gone, they called later to say they were getting married. They got married on March first, we were all there at a beautiful little ceremony, they were both so happy and they admitted in their vows that they'd been in love with each other for years.

The call came on the last Tuesday of March that Jess had rushed Ing to the hospital. That there had been complications with the pregnancy and Ing had lost the baby before anyone could do anything to attempt to save it. Ing was fine physically but both she and Jess were so devastated emotionally that we weren't sure they were going to be able to make it a month into their marriage. But they pulled through it and they're doing okay now from what any of us can tell.

"Hey so why don't we go out and do something to celebrate your birthday?" Ing appears in the same spot Jess had stood in several minutes before.

I shrug, "we don't have to do anything, I told Jess I'd stop by the bookstore and get a feel for things. That's enough."

"Hmm," Ing thinks for a second, "I was thinking something more along the lines of stopping at that Vegan restaurant you like and getting lunch, then stopping by my shop so you can see what I'm working on and then you could go by the bookstore and get set up."

"You had me at vegan restaurant," I laugh. Did I mention that I got my dad's health food sense to the tenth power? When I hit about twelve I made up my mind about what I would and would not eat. My parents and grandparents both claim to this day that I just do it to make Friday nights hard for everyone else, but that's only a bonus. It's a difficult choice, the vegan thing, especially in Stars Hollow but I'm surviving but the prospect of having multiple vegan restaurants near me makes me happy. And the one just around the corner from Jess and Ing's apartment serves black bean cakes with a spicy sweet potato sauce that they got me addicted to on my 16th birthday.

"That's what I thought," Ing laughs, "do you want to shower or anything before we go?"

"Is that a hint?" I ask with an arch of my eyebrow.

Ing laughs, "totally."

With a smile I shove off of the couch and grab my duffel bag, "I'll only be a couple minutes.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Ingrid and I spent all morning together, we did some window shopping before heading over to Herban Kitchen. Window shopping that actually resulted in Ing insisting on buying me various gifts for my birthday from a photography store about a block and a half from the apartment. Ing's the one to blame for my love of photography. She's the one, who, when I was ten gave me my first camera and told me I had an eye for things of beauty. Ever since then I've taken pictures of everything, but since we didn't do a whole lot of traveling when I grew up my photograph subjects were general Stars Hollow residents.

People have accused me of hiding from the world behind my camera, that I would rather be taking pictures of people living their lives then living my own. Which isn't true. Taking pictures and capturing the world around you isn't a way of hiding from you, it just gives you a different view of life that people can't see. You take these pictures of different experiences in life and you can look at the pictures and take a step back from your own emotions and see what you were missing while you were getting caught up in your own life. It's a point of view that I love and I am always going to owe Ingrid for introducing me to.

Lunch was awesome. My black bean cakes were perfect. But beyond that they had a help wanted sign in the window and I picked up an application on my way out. Jess gave me a job, yes, but it can't hurt to have a second job, I'm realist I know that even with a roommate an apartment in New York City isn't going to be cheap. And if I'm working in a bookstore, something I have no interest in, why not get a job surrounding something I have an interest in? Besides its working as a prep cook, and assuming I can get my dad to give me references I shouldn't have a problem giving me the job. But, like I said, that's assuming I can get my dad to give me references. I think I'll wait a day or two or fourteen before I even think about bring up that subject with him.

During lunch Ing went serious on me, explaining that running away hadn't been the greatest idea I've ever had, but I was here now and that she and Jess would help me out for I _awhile_ but I'd have to eventually learn to stand on me own feet. Coming from anyone else this would have sound condescending and annoying but Ing has a way of phrasing those kinds of things so they don't come out sounding that way. Following that conversation she briefly touched on me having to get my GED and then she dropped any form of serious conversation.

She knew why I'd left and she's the only person I know who can relate to me on feeling like they can't live up to Rory. Ing told me once that she compared herself to Rory constantly for at least a month after meeting her for the first time. How she didn't think she'd ever live up to Rory in Jess' eyes, and this is waaaay before Jess and Ing were even involved romantically. Needless to say Rory and Ing don't get along, but it goes beyond the Ing comparing herself to Rory (because Jess assured her, after letting her unknowingly stew on it for a couple weeks, that he didn't want someone like Rory in his life anymore). It's more that they couldn't be more different. Rory is serious, organized and every detail of her life is planned exactly. While Ing is none of those things. She's fun-loving, spontaneous and mostly just crazy. They are complete opposites, and not in the good opposites attract kind of way. I'm not sure if they've ever actually fought but when forced into the same social situation, which only ever happens at Christmas, there are nasty looks on both sides of the fence. I've never brought up the subject with Ing before, mostly because I've seen her angry and that's not something I'd want to bring on myself.

After lunch I spent twenty minutes browsing Ingrid's store while she went about her opening duties, she paints, draws and makes little porcelain sculptures. Her shop is set up just the way her brain must work, it's chaotic and very little of the arrangement makes sense to anyone who isn't Ingrid Mariano, but that's part of what gives it the charm that everyone always comments on when they walk in. People love Ing's work and they love Ing, she has regular customers, I wasn't aware that art gallery store things (I've never been exactly sure what you'd call Ing's store) had regular customers but Ing does. And one customer in particular convinced her to do the greeting cards that sit by the register and that Ingrid pressed into my hand on my way out of the door before I headed to the bookstore.

"Send them a card," Ing says from the position at the door, facing me with my back facing the street. "Just let them know you don't hate them."

"I don't hate them," I respond, "they know that."

Ing shakes her head, "I don't think they do."

I frown and accept the card, "I'll think about it."

"Good," Ing smiles, "I'll see you later. If Jess doesn't put you right to work right away and you get bored you can come over here and keep me company."

I smile and nod, "but something tells me that Jess will put me to hard labor for bringing on the wrath of my dad."

Ing laughs, "good luck," she responds as a customers brushes past me to get into the shop.

"Finally," Jess looks up from his computer when I walk into the small bookstore, with dimmed lighting and several old worn couches and chairs holding several people sitting in them reading, writing or studying it's an environment that would probably freak some people out who like lots of noise. My mother, for example, deemed it "creepy" the first time she set foot inside the store.

"I was starting to think you caught a bus back to Stars Hollow without saying good-bye," Jess adds. "Since that seems to be your style lately."

"Jess," I sigh, I can't figure out how he's taking this with the scowl settled across his face.

"Oh come on," Jess rolls his eyes and smirks. "Jamie this is my cousin Lucy, Lucy this is Jamie."

I take in Jamie for the first time, he is sitting on the counter a text book open in his lap but his eyes are focused on me. He's got slightly curly dark hair that could desperately use a hair cut and slightly resembles a wet mop and dark framed glasses. "It's nice to meet you," I smile crossing the distance and holding my hand out to shake.

"'S good to meet you too, Ingrid and Jess talk about you all the time," Jamie takes my hand into his and grips it lightly before pulling away.

"Good stuff from Ing I'm sure, rotten stuff from Jess I bet."

He smiles, "all good stuff, I promise." Jamie hops off the counter and for the first time I realize that he's huge, over a foot taller then my five foot two height. "Can I get you some form of coffee, I understand you took an incredibly early bus." He gestures to the café part of the store.

"No, thanks," I shake my head.

"Lucy is a food psycho," Jess rolls his eyes again, I tend to bring that reaction out of him. "There's so many things she doesn't consume, like caffeine, that I don't even bother to offer her anything unless she asks specifically for it."

Jamie nods, "got it. So what now, Lucy?" He asks as he sets about to make himself coffee.

"Work here, I'm going to apply to Herban Kitchen too and then I've got to find an apartment and a roommate."

"Sounds like you've got it all worked out then I guess."

"Oh God, don't encourage her Jamie," Jess moans, but by now I'm sure he doesn't actually mind.

It's my turn to roll my eyes and I don't even bother to respond to Jess, "yeah, I guess. I've just got to find a roommate."

"At the end of the semester my roommate is graduating and I'll be looking for a roommate. So the room's yours if you want it," Jamie offers. "It's a nice two bedroom and it's close to here with a lot of room. Even if it's just temporary until you find something else."

"That's great," I grin, "thanks."

"No way," Jess shakes his head, "I'm not letting it happen."

"What is your problem?" I demand several hours later as Jess, Ing and I sit at dinner.

"In case you hadn't noticed Jamie is a guy."

"So?" Ing and I mirror each other's words.

"So you can't live with him."

"Jess, I'm not seven years old anymore."

"That's exactly my point, there's no way I'm letting you live with Jamie."

"Good thing I'm not asking your permission then huh?" I cross my arms over my chest and narrow my eyes at Jess, it's an expression that's only bound to make him more angry, which is the reason for the smirk that plays at the corner of my mouth.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

A.N. Just a quick note to Krys33 I was wondering if anyone would pick that up about Jamie. The name just came to me and when I got done with Jamie's character development I was like huh, he's very Instant Star Jamie like but I fell in love with him (probably because I'm in love with Jamie from IS) so I kept him as is. He's going to be slightly different though since he's not greatly in love with music...oh and I hope this chapter clears up Lucy's relationship with her parents I feel like I've kind of misled everyone as to how she feels about her parents.

* * *

So when the phone rang last week I didn't think anything of it. I mean in the week prior that I'd been living at Jess and Ing's the phone had rung several times a day, but if I had known what the phone call would bring I would have walked out of the apartment versus picking it up. If I'd known that the phone call would bring the announcement from my mother that she was coming to visit I would have probably been conveniently out of the apartment every time it rang. Curses about Jess and Ing who don't believe in caller ID, it's been around for decades can't they just jump on the bandwagon? Ing says she likes the surprise in not knowing who is going to be on the other line when she picks up the phone. Me? I don't. I don't like picking up the phone and having my mother on the other line. I'd like the freedom of glancing at the caller ID, recognizing the 203 area code and walking out of the room.

But it's set up, I couldn't get out of it. In 22 minutes my parents will invade Jess' apartment. Demand to meet Jamie since I'll be moving in with him in a couple of weeks and to see my jobs and just know everything about everything. But Ing had reminded me a dozen times since that phone call a week ago that they were my parents. They loved me. And, no, I could not feign a horrible coma inducing illness and spend the weekend in the hospital. Jess backed her up so I had no one to stand beside me, even Jamie had an opinion on the matter. An opinion which went right along with everyone else's.

I don't hate my parents. I know that's probably hard to see with the whole running away thing and complaining about seeing them. I mean, growing up with them was interesting. They're so opposite that life in the Danes house was never dull, my mom's a crazy junk food and coffee addict and my dad is serious and rigid. But together they just work. I can't imagine them as two separate people. They've always taken a strong front against or for anything and everything and they fight all the time but never about the important stuff. I'm not saying they don't fight about the important stuff, because I know they do but in the end they always provide a solid front line. Sometimes it's obvious Mom's gotten her way, other's it's obvious that Dad has.

And they're not bad people, they're great people. Successful. Independent. Upstanding citizens. And loving parents. I wouldn't deny them any of this. And I think the problem is this. I'm them. I've got my mother's running away and do it myself streak and both of my parents' hard work ethics. My mom's mocking sarcasm. It's all there. And their personalities were smothering me, or mine and deep down I think they know why I left. But that doesn't mean that they'll make this visit easy on me either.

"That was them," Ingrid walks into the living room to find me hanging upside down from her couch. "They wanted to meet us somewhere with food, apparently your mother is starving. They suggested Herban Kitchen, they figured they could see where you work and get food at the same time."

"Mom's going to want to stop somewhere else and get food afterwards because there's no way she's going to order food from Herban Kitchen."

"You're not going to make this visit easy on anyone, are you?" Ingrid asks looking down on me.

"Of course she isn't," Jess appears in the room to but somewhere out of my eye site. "She's got Gilmore blood in her after all."

I allow my legs to fall over my head and I flip over onto my back with an ungraceful topple, "then let's go."

"You're not going to change out of your clothes from work?" Jess asks.

"When did you become my fashion consultant?" I glare in his direction, it's a general guess because I've got my eyes closed so the world will stop spinning thanks to the head rush I've given myself.

"When I decided I don't want to go to a restaurant and have my cousin get asked to take orders because she's wearing the required uniform." Jess retorts.

"God, picky," I roll my eyes and head for the dresser across the room that mostly held some of Ing's unused art supplies but had been partially cleared our for my clothes. Less then a minute later I reemerge from the bathroom wearing a simple pair of jeans and a black tank top, "happy now?"

"You're going to freeze," is Jess' response.

"One step ahead of you." I states as a I pull an oversized dark blue sweatshirt over my head with white NYC letters stitched into the front.

"Why the hell do you have Jamie's sweatshirt?" Jess demands.

"Oh my God!" My head pokes through the whole of the hoodie sweatshirt, "you're starting to sound like my dad. Jamie left it at work the other day, I borrowed it, I'll give it back to him the next time I see him."

"I do not sound like Luke," Jess almost pouts.

Ing offers her husband a sympathetic look, "you kinda do."

"Let's just go," Jess snaps as he heads for the door, Ing smirks at me from behind Jess' back and I can hardly hold back the giggle that her expression causes.

I'd counted on seeing my parents for the first time after "running away" and having the situation being awkward. But of course they proved me wrong, they were already waiting at the restaurant by the time we'd got there and they were seated in a corner table in the back. "Hey you made it," Mom stands up and Dad follows suit.

"Yeah, we walked," Jess nods.

"How was your trip," hugs are being exchanged between Ing and my parents but I stand just outside of the group, unsure of what I'm supposed to say or how I'm supposed to act.

"The trip was uneventful," Mom answers Ing's question before moving toward me and wrapping me in a hug. "Hey babe."

"Um, hey Mom," I return the hug briefly and if I was unprepared for that I certainly wasn't expecting my father to follow my mother's lead. "Hey Dad."

"Hey kid," Dad looks sad and I feel a pang of guilt for having to put him through that, okay more then a pang more like a lot of pangs.

"So what's good here?" Mom is the first to sit and open her menu.

"Nothing you'll like Lorelai," Jess laughs.

"How do you know that?"

"Because one dish here is more then your yearly consumption of vegetables, Mom." What? Obviously everyone was attempting to keep this meal as simple as possible and I could go along with that, at least I wasn't currently the topic of a famous Luke Danes' lecture.

"Hey I eat vegetables," Mom protests.

"French fries don't count Lorelai," Dad states from behind his menu.

"Hey, sometimes when we're in restaurants and they put vegetables on my plate they sometimes get mixed in with whatever I'm eating," Mom adds laughing.

"Don't you ever leave," Jada, one of the waitresses appears at the table to take our order.

"I dunno, I thought I'd move in," I retort. "Actually my parents are in the city visiting and wanted to see where I work so I thought I'd kill to birds with one stone, besides it'll be nice to be served for once in this place." I respond, Jada and I had hit it off from day one she wasn't much older then I was but she'd come to live in the city as soon as she'd graduated from high school. "Mom, Dad this is Jada, Jada these are my parents."

More greetings go around the table and then everyone places their order with Jada, until she reaches my mom who is still starring at her menu like it's in another language. "Since I think the only thing on this menu that I recognize all of the words is the chile I'll get that." Jada smiles and writes the order down before leaving the table.

"Don't worry Lorelai, Jess has lots of cakes and coffee at the bookstore," Ing assures.

"Those are words I know. So what exactly do you do here Luce, are you waiting tables or what?"

"I'm a prep cook," I respond, already starting to worry about what the rest of the night is going to be like if we're already falling back on information she already knows to keep the conversation going.

"And Martha's engaged," Mom is catching me up on all of the Stars Hollow gossip when we walk into the bookstore, when I'd asked how things were in Stars Hollow to cover the silence that had descended over the five of us on our walk to the bookstore it had led to plenty of conversation.

"She's what?" Sookie's daughter was several years older then me but with our mother's being so close we'd spent our younger years as each other's best friends but once we'd been separated by schools we'd lost the relationship we had.

"Engaged, in a year she's going to be Martha Janice-Lori-Ethan-Rupert-Glenda-Carson-Dasiy-Danny Melville-Larson." Mom grins, she loved to use Martha's whole name whenever possible.

"She's hyphenating the last name too?" I stare at my mother.

"Of course she is, you know Martha she'll make her name as long as possible, if she ever gets divorced and remarried she'll probably keep all of her last names."

"She's insane," Jess comments as he pulls the door open for all of us.

"She's Sookie and Jackson's daughter, of course she's insane," Dad adds.

"Coffee," Mom takes in a deep breath the instant she walks into the shop and immediately hurries over to Jamie, "coffee, please, now I was forced to eat an entirely healthy meal so give me one of those slices of cheesecake too."

"You must be Lorelai," Jamie comments as he sets about to fill my mother's order.

"You've been warned I see," Lorelai observes.

Jamie nods, "I have. Lucy said she'd give me ten dollars not to serve you coffee, but Jess said I'd be putting my life in jeopardy if I refused to serve you coffee. So I figured I wouldn't risk it."

"Smart guy," Mom responds as Jamie hands her the coffee cup and plate containing her cheesecake.

"Hey," Jamie greets the rest of us but when his eyes land on me he says, "hey" again only this time less friendly. "That's my sweatshirt."

Mom shoots me a look that I know is asking if we're dating and I'm sure the look on my father's face mirrors the one Jess had had on his face when I pulled the hoodie over my head. But I just shrug, "you left it here. I was cold. I borrowed it. You can have it back tomorrow."

Jamie rolls his eyes before asking, "can I get anyone anything else?"

I wave Jamie off but Ing and Jess step forward to order. "Luce, can we talk to you?" Mom asks when the other two move away.

I take a breath, bring on the lecture, "yeah. We can use Jess' office." There silence that descends over us the instant the office door closes behind my dad is nerve wracking and I can't let it sit anymore. "Okay, if you're going to yell then just yell."

"We're not here to yell at you," this confession comes from my father and I can't help but laugh.

"Of course you are, you've been dying to yell at me face to face since you yelled at me on the phone."

"We're not here you yell at you," my mom repeats, "we actually wanted to tell you that we're not going to yell at you. Or try to get you to move back home. We really are just here to see what your life is going to be like, we still want to be a part of your life kid. We're hoping that we haven't been such horrible parents that you want to kick us out of your life completely."

"I don't want to kick you out of my life," I sigh sinking onto the couch that lines one of Jess' walls. "That's never been what this is about. I just want to live my own life and life in Stars Hollow just seems so..." I pause I don't want to insult them, or the town they both love.

"So what?" Dad encourages.

I shrug, "small?"

My mom nods, "that's the way I felt growing up. Kind of ironic that I ended up in a small town, I guess it's just a matter of who you are. If New York is where you need to be right now we're not going to stop you."

"Really?" I turn toward my dad searching his face for some sign that he feels differently about all of this then my mom does.

But his face shows nothing of the sort, "like your mom says, we just want you to be happy."

"Thanks," I step forward and hug my dad and the hug from him I receive is almost crushing.

"I'm not sure I like the idea of you living with a boy though," I pull out of the crushing hug at this comment.

"Dad, it's just Jamie, nothing's going on between us. There won't be anything going on between us, besides you sound just like Jess."

"I do not sound like Jess!"

Mom's blue eyes catch mine and I bite my lip to keep from laughing, "now you really sound like him!"

Mom laughs and then Dad glares at her, "don't support her in this!"

Mom shrugs, "you do kind of sound like Jess." At these words though she turns her attention back to me, "can you be persuaded to come with Jess and Ing to Stars Hollow for Christmas?"

I hadn't really given thought to the fact that Christmas was only a couple weeks away, "um yeah. Sure."


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

A.N. I'm so sorry for the length of the updates, I've been going non-stop for a couple weeks now. But I leave to visit my dad for Thanksgiving tomorrow and I thought I make sure to get the update out so that it gets out! Anyway thanks for sticking with my and for those of you who celebrate, Happy Thanksgiving, eat lots of turkey and mashed potatoes!

Christmas Eve has never been a small event for the Danes family - ever. When Mom and Dad got married they decided that they wanted Christmas Eve to be their holiday, Thanksgiving was spent with just about everyone possible. But Dad, particularly, wanted Christmas Eve to be about family. Of course everyone my mother has ever met is considered family so it tends to get very large. Dad closes down the diner and he and Sookie (who bounces between our house and the inn) go all out in the food department and more people then is probably safe according to fire code regulations pack into our house. And there's a lot of eating and presents and music and chaos.

Rory comes with Logan and the kids and so do Lane and her husband Jack (a music loving neurosurgeon) and their daughter, Mrs. Kim has been coming since Mr. Kim died several used ago. Davie and Martha come too, Davie with his flavor-of-the-week, and Martha will be bring her fiancee. Add Ing and Jess in there and you've got a list of the regulars in the chaotic play that is Christmas Eve. But there's plenty of people making cameo's as well, the Gilmore's show up occasionally, Liz and T.J. come when their in town, Paris and her husband usually show up at some point, Logan's best friends tag along and carious Stars Hollow residents pop up (a true Stars Hollow example being Kirk, Lulu and their seven children).

It's easy to get lost in the crow and that's never been something that I minded. This year is no different. Everyone is dragging their feet this morning as we get ready to go, and for the first time I realize that Ing's probably faked the cheerful expression she's always worn when she's come for Christmas in the past giving been up for an hour and a half and probably changed her clothes five times. I've taken 45 minutes myself to pack the overnight back and Jess has been barking impatient orders to use from the kitchen about how we need to "hurry the hell up."

"I'll get it!" I call when the doorbell rings, glad for the distraction from putting my final shirt into my duffel bag.

"I swear to God Lucy, if you're not done packing I'm going to throw your damn duffel bag out the window!" Did I mention Jess doesn't seem to thrilled about going either?

Quickly I shoved the last shirt into the bag, when it comes to Jess I know when to pick my battles and when there's an impending Rory interaction that's _not_ the time to cross him. With that task finally done I pull open the door to reveal Jamie, "hey, um..." I trail Jamie was over all the time so seeing him on my doorstep wouldn't normally have thrown me off, but it was the duffel bag at his feet that was throwing me off. "What's up?"

"Ing invited me to come with you guys," Jamie explains, "I should have figure she'd forget to tell you."

"Oh," I nod.

"Is that okay?" Jamie shifts, suddenly looking unsure.

"No, of course it is," I respond quickly, "come in." Closing the door behind Jamie I call out, "Jamie's here!"

"Hey," Ing appears but when she sees me she lets out a frustrated moan.

"We look like Double Mint Twins," I laugh taking in Ing's jeans and black sweater.

"I've got to change," Ing looks to be on the verge of tears.

"You're fine," I respond, "I'll change. Jess, I'm changing and then we're leaving so don't even start..."

Once I've changed I stare in the mirror in the bathroom, if my grandmother shows up I'll never hear the end of my attire. Once dark blue jeans, now faded a very washed out denim and an oversized cream colored vintage sweater, but for the first time in years she won't find fault with my currently un-streaked and undyed hair.

"Lucy, we're going to miss lunch if you don't hurry up! What are you doing in there?"

"My hair," I call back as I quickly French braid my hair into two simple pigtails.

"We don't have time for you to color your hair," Jess knows me to well sometimes.

"Let's go,"I pull open the bathroom door and head for my duffel bag still on the couch.

"I can't believe you're coming with us," I tell Jamie when we've all settled into Jess' rarely used car.

"Ing invited me, I had nothing better to do," Jamie shrugs.

"And Ing told you about the insanity?"

Jamie nods, "I've been warned."

"Wow who knew all this time I've been working with a crazy person?"

"I've known I've been working with a crazy person," Jamie teases.

"Don't you have a book to bury your nose in?"

"Actually, yes," Jamie nods and pulls a book out of his bag instantly immersed in it.

"You're really going to read and ignore me?" I pout, honestly I love car ride and didn't really need the distraction but Jamie is just so damn fun to give a hard time. But Jamie continues to ignore me so I shift through the duffel bag at my feet, pull out my camera and snap a picture of Jamie.

"What was that?" Jamie looks up from his book, "is there a reason you're taking a picture of me or is it just to annoy me?"

"There's a reason, the annoying you is just a bonus," I smirk.

"What's the reason?"

Ing turns around from her passenger seat to explain for me, hell she's almost more excited then I am, "a man from Freeze Frame..."

"Freeze Frame?" Jamie interrupts.

"They're a photography company, jeeze Jamie get with the program," Jess' words are mocking Ing's from when she had told him about the it the day before.

"They're a photography company who do most of the photo shoots for major magazines," I explain further.

"_And_," Ing states enthusiastically, "they are having a contest for amateur photographers. The top three winners get internships and the first prize winner gets a job after the internship. And Lucy is entering."

"Lucy, that's awesome why didn't you tell me?" Jamie questions closing his book and staring intently at me.

I shift Jamie's gaze is making me uncomfortable, "oh I just found out about it. Besides it's no big deal, Ingrid is more excited about it then I am."

"Oooh shock," Jess responds as he weaves his way through New York City traffic. "When do you ever express enthusiasm over anything?"

"Look who's talking," Ing laughs gently nudging Jess, "you hardly smiled on our wedding day."

"Well, then I guess it's the Dane's blood in me," I respond.

"Well that's a no-brainer," Ing states.

"So Lucy what are you going to enter?" Jamie asks bring our attention back to the original topic.

"I was thinking of taking pictures of people in Central Park - real people doing real things."

"That sounds interesting," Jamie's tone sounds less then interested and for some reason that bothers me more then I would like it to. After that everyone gets quiet, Ing turns on the radio and pulls out her sketch pad, Jamie returns to his book and Jess concentrates on driving, leaving me to stare out the window and think over Jamie's words.

Nobody changed their actions until we get off the exit marked "Stars Hollow". Ingrid immediately began fixing her perfectly curled hair and make-up, Jamie closes and puts his book away, but both Jess and my actions remain the same.

"It's so quiet," Jamie comments as we pass through Constabulary Road, his eyes are intently out the window taking in the entire town.

"Ha, that's what you think," I can't help but scoff, the closer we get to the house the more nervous I get about seeing everyone and having to battle all of the inevitable questions. In just a matter of minutes Jamie was finally allowed the picture I'd tried to paint for him, there were cars all over the front lawn and people could be seen through the windows of the house.

Jamie is the first to reach for the doorhandle before I moan, "the Gilmore's are here." At my comment no one moves, and Ing sighs but Jamie finally pushes the door open.

"Are we going in?" Jamie asks, "or did we drive all this way to sit in the car?"

"Car," I states, "the car sounds great."

Jamie shakes his head and stands up and makes it halfway to the door before he turns around to glare at us. "We could just leave him," Jess offers and I'm pretty sure he's only kidding slightly more then he's serious, but before anything can be done Miss Patty and Babette appear on the porch directly headed toward Jamie.

Reluctantly I push open my door and reach him just as they door, "Lucy, sugar, your parents said you were coming." Babette hugs me tightly.

"Now who's this gorgeous boy?" Miss Patty questions turning her full attention to Jamie. "Lorelai didn't mention you were bringing a boyfriend."

I can hardly hold back my laugh at the look on Jamie's face, "this is Jamie, just a friend," I assure much to their disappointment.

"He's cute Lucy," Miss Patty informs, "I wouldn't let him get away if I were you."

"Oh!" Babette's eyes go wide, "he must be the boy you're moving in with."

Jamie turns to look at me as if to ask how they knew that, "Jamie this is Miss Patty and Babette, they know everything that happens in Stars Hollow - or to it's former residents."

"Former residents?" Babette asks, "Lucy, dolly, you're always be a part of Stars Hollow. I mean Rory hasn't lived here in years but she'll always be a resident in our hearts."

I shoot a look at Jamie to make sure he caught the comment, he doesn't believe me when I say that the entire town of Stars Hollow is obsessed with my sister. "You know," Jamie speaks up, "I've yet to meet Rory, so we should get inside."

"Oh, Rory's not here just yet, but you should get inside," Lorelai has been waiting all morning to see you.

"Ready to brave the chaos?" I ask Jamie and for a second it looks like he's lost the confidence's he's been exuding all morning.

But he just nods and the look passes, "sure thing, let's get in there."

"You doing okay?" Jamie and I had only been in the house twenty minutes and already he looked massively overwhelmed.

"Yeah I just didn't..."

"Believe me when I told you that the entire town was utterly insane?" I ask lifting an eyebrow and giving him a cocky look that he's declared many times before that he hates.

"Shut up, I figured you were over-exaggerating, you tend to do that."

"What?" My jaw drops, "I do not."

"Yesterday you told me that there were ten people waiting in line and you needed my help at the coffee counter, there were two."

"That's just cause I didn't want to do it," I laugh, "but I'm not exaggerating with this town. I grew up here. My mom is the queen of this town and she's insane so you could easily deduce..."

"Lucy Belinda Danes," I cringe at both the use of my full name and the voice that's just spoken it.

"Jamie prepare yourself to meet the Emily Gilmore," I sigh before turning to face the only grandmother I have. Not that that ever meant anything. Emily wasn't the grand motherly type and I certainly wasn't the pristine granddaughter she expected either. "Hi Grandma."

"Hello Lucy," Emily's greeting is stiff and I know she wants to have a few words to me privately, but she's to polite to say anything in front of Jamie. Turning toward Jamie she introduces herself, "I'm Emily Gilmore, Lucy's grandmother."

"It's good to meet you," Jamie responds graciously shaking her hand, "I'm Jamie Deluca, I work for Jess."

Emily looks surprised by this revelation, "you're not James Deluca, son of Anthony and Margueax Deluca are you?"

"Actually I am," this time it's Jamie's turn for a stiff response, and his usually openly expressive face is unreadable.

"We're so sorry to hear about your father, Richard and I were just by to visit him but he seems to be in good spirits. But I'm sure you know that, he's a strong man." Emily Gilmore stares at Jamie with a look I've only ever seen on her face when she's impressed by someone's breeding and family.

"It was good meeting you Emily," Jamie states, "but I think I'll see if I can help Luke or Sookie with anything in the kitchen."

"Jamie..." I begin but he's left both of us before I can say anything else. All of this is new to me, I know that Jamie doesn't have the best relationship with his parents but Jamie's never talked about them. "Grandma," curiosity had gotten the better of me, "who's Anthony Deluca?"

"You don't know?" Emily looks surprised by this as well, "Anthony Deluca's family were oil tycoons, and then Anthony invested in a pharmaceutical company that made him billions of dollars. He's one of the richest men on the eastern seaboard and he's recently been diagnosed with an incurable heart condition, meaning in the next year your boyfriend is going to come into a large sum of money. He never told you?"

"No," I shake my head and stare after Jamie, to shocked by this revelation to inform my grandmother that she could stop planning my wedding because Jamie and I weren't dating. Sure I didn't know a ton about Jamie, but it's not like he was a huge mystery. Actually he wasn't at all. He was an English major at NYU. He worked whenever he wasn't studying. He wanted to be a writer. He was quiet and awkward around people in social situations but for some reason could get himself into a ten minute conversation with someone in the check out line. I knew he didn't get along with his father but suddenly Jamie seemed like nothing but a mystery to me.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

A.N. I just wanted to thank you guys so much for your reviews, I love reviews...and that's what this authors note is about...NAG has become my baby, which is funny because it just started out as a story to kind of stretch my writing style (I don't usually write in first or present tense) but when I got a flood of reviews I kind of stuck with it. But I've noticed a lag in reviews and I would like to know if it's because my writing style changed and it's not as likeable? Or if the characters or plot aren't as interesting as they once were? Let me know if you have any suggestions...thanks! Anyway, on with the second half of the Christmas party. Because this is just a continuation of where we left off last chapter we won't have Lucy's traditional monologue to start us off, but there's a little something at the end!

* * *

"Lucy, you've been taking pictures all night, why don't you grab some food?" Mom's suggestion sounds good, after the revelation of Jamie's deep dark buried history (okay, okay sure it's not buried if I never asked but this way sounds more dramatic) I'd stuck myself on picture duty. Remember when I mentioned that some people believe I hide behind my camera? Well, they may be a little bit right.

"Have you seen Jamie?" I question letting my camera fall on the string around my neck.

"I haven't, no," Mom gestures to the crows still gathered in her small house, "but I'm sure he's in here somewhere."

"Okay, thanks Mom."

"Oh Luce," Mom grabs my hand as she collapses into the chair I've just vacated, and I realize she's sent me off to get food so she could steal my chair. "Rory's here and Logan is supposed to be here soon with the kids."

I nod, this means she wants me to go do the sister thing, "okay Mom."

I only make it about a foot further away before her call stops me again, "and Luce?"

I sigh and turn again, "yeah Mom?"

"Thanks for coming today," Mom offers an exhausted smile.

I nod again, "sure Mom." Moving back toward her I hug her briefly before straightening once more.

"I love you baby girl."

"I love you too, Mom."

"Okay, okay, go find Jamie and get something to eat."

I get almost to the kitchen when I find my five-year-old twin niece and nephew being helped out of their jackets by Logan, quickly before they notice me I take a few pictures. "Lucy, Lucy!" I've no sooner let go of my camera before both spot me and wrap their arms tightly around my legs.

Prying the little fingers from around my legs I crouch down to face them, "hey Charlie, hey Mark."

"Merry Christmas!" Both kids wrap their arms tightly around my neck.

"Merry Christmas to you too," Charlie and Mark were cute kids, and have everyone (I have to include myself in this) wrapped around their conniving fingers. Mark takes after Logan, but Charlie was all Gilmore from the same body structure, dark hair right down too (or would it be up to?) the trademark brilliant blue eyes.

Charlie pulls away first and then pulling Logan down to her level she whispers something quickly in his ear, "we made these for you." Charlie states once she's accepted two pieces of folded construction paper that Logan's pulled out of his jacket pockets.

"Did you guys make these?" I asks, after further inspecting the pictures decorated with various Christmas scenes.

"Yup!" Charlie and Mark declare together.

"They're beautiful," I kiss both before straightening. "Hi Logan," I hug my brother-in-law briefly.

"Hey Lucy, how's it going? How are you liking New York?"

"It's great, "I nod, "I like it a lot."

"No, that's where your wrong Swift didn't have nearly as large of an effect on Neoclassical literature as Pope." Jamie's voice reaches me from the kitchen.

"Logan will you excuse me?" I excuse myself quickly glad to be saved from the awkward small talk that Logan and I are constantly locked into. Rory and Logan got married when I was two and Logan had always been inexperienced and nervous around little kids (until he had his own and now you'd never know) and by the time I was old enough to not scare Logan things were awkward beyond repair.

"Hey Jam..." I stop dead at the sight of Jamie and Rory standing in a corner talking animatedly. "Oh, hey Rory."

"Lucy!" Rory jumps out of her seat to hug me, "hey little sister."

I return Rory's hug but am still recovering from seeing Jamie and Rory talking, it's like seeing to world colliding, "I-um-see you've met Jamie."

"Yeah," Rory laughs, "we were just debating neoclassical literature..."

"Oh yeah," I nod, "I um, saw Logan with the kids. They're getting big."

"Yeah, they are," Rory nods with a bright smile. Rory is successful at a lot of things, she had her own newspaper column, she helped Logan run several of the papers he owned, she threw amazing socialite parties (or that's what Emily says anyway) but the thing she excels in his being a mom.

"Did Mom say you'll be living with Jamie after the New Year?" Rory forms the sentence as a question but I know that Rory knows exactly what she's talking about and exactly how both Mom and Dad feel about it.

But I play along anyway and nod, "yeah, I can't live on Jess and Ing's couch forever."

"That's right," Jess' words come from behind me.

"Hey Jess," Rory greets as I turn to give Jess an odd look, I couldn't think of a time when I'd seem him instigate a conversation with Rory. The only cause of this I could figure was that there was someone worse Jess was avoiding in the living room.

"Hey Rory," Jess nods his greeting.

"I'm glad you came over," Rory states, "the editor at my paper read my book and suggested I use the publishing company I think you use I was wondering..."

I have no interested to hear any more of the conversation, Jamie and Jess came talk books with Rory forever for all I care. Okay, yes, I sound jealous but Jess hates talking to Rory and Jamie's _supposed_ to hate Rory. That's the way I had it worked out in my head and that's the way it was supposed to be. A quick survey of the living room tells me that Jess was probably avoiding Emily who is talking seriously to my father. Skirting around the edge of the living room I make it to the door without getting pulled into whatever lecture Dad is on the receiving end of.

The freezing air outside feels cool against my hot skin. Walking across the porch I settle on the porch swing and wrap the blanket that had been left out, around me. I know it's selfish and petty that I'm upset about Jamie getting along with Rory. I should have figured that they'd get along well. He's well read and he can tell you just about any current event from any country in the world at the drop of a hat. But to me it just doesn't matter, Jamie wasn't supposed to like Rory. Hell, he wasn't even supposed to be in Stars Hollow.

"Hey," Ing's voice drowns out of my conceited thought process.

"Hey," I move over on the swing so that Ingrid can sit as well.

"It's insanity in there," Ing comments once she's settled under the blanket.

I nod, but I also know she doesn't want a response to that, "what's up?"

Ingrid shrugs, "oh, you know, I decided not to stick around and listen to Quihu's effect on modern Lithuanian literature."

"Modern Lithuanian literature?" I laugh at her words because I understand exactly what she means, if I let Jess and Jamie start talking about literature at work I'm pretty much left both in the dark and to run the store by myself for at least an hour.

"Eh, it sounded cool." Silence lapse over the both of us and I'm pretty sure we're both considering our feelings for Rory. "It's crazy of me to be jealous of her." Ing breaks the silence and confirms my suspicions. "I mean they were over a long time before I even met Jess, and she's married. Jess and I are married."

"Yeah," there's nothing else for me to say - or anything else I need to say. Ingrid knows that I understand what it feels like to never live up to Rory, and how stupid you feel for not being able to let that go. But honestly? Rory will always carry a part of Jess with her and vice versa. You know how they say every woman wants to change the man they're with but eventually they have to live with what they have? Well, the thing is, what Ing has...the Jess Ing has...is because of how Rory changed him. And she knows that and on that level I don't think I'll ever be able to relate to Ing.

"He's so funny," Ing's voice sounds anything but amused. "You bring up Rory's name in daily conversation and you'd think he hated her, but she walks into a room and then they get locked into conversations like they're best friends."

"Jamie likes her," I can't let Ing stew on Rory and Jess anymore. "I should have known he would, but this wasn't supposed to happen."

"She's a life ruiner," Ing laughs at this, a real laugh because Ingrid has this weird love for _Mean Girls._

"I thought Jess hid you're _Mean Girls_DVD?" I ask, I don't mind the distraction from topic-Rory. I know that If we let ourselves we could go on about her forever and end up with nothing accomplished excepted blaming her even more for our problems and hating ourselves for being stupid.

"Like that could stop me," Ing lets out an evil sound laugh.

"You realize there are better movies then _Mean Girls_, right?"

"No such thing," Ingrid shakes her head, "besides I've been watching that movie once a month since I was your age. Why mess with twenty years of tradition?"

"God, you're both lame and old," I smirk, sometimes it was hard to remember that Ingrid. was twenty years older then me - old enough to be my mother, but I didn't let her forget it when I remembered.

"I'm not lame or old," Ingrid shakes her head but beyond that she drops the subject. "So you and Jamie..." She lets her sentence trail as if I had something to fill in on the matter.

I stare at her in the pale porch light trying to figure out if she's really getting at what I think she's getting at. "Jamie and I..." I allow my sentence to trail as well hoping she'll finish her thought.

"He's cute, don't you think?"

"I guess," I shrug, "in that geeky bookworm kind of way."

"So you're not at all interested in him?" Ingrid seems surprised by this statement.

"Um, no," I shake my head, because honestly the thought of Jamie in anyway beyond that of a co-worker and future roommate hadn't really crossed my mind. I mean we hang out a lot and he was very quickly becoming my best friend but he was that - a friend.

"I just had to check, because you guys seem really close and I thought maybe you'd need to talk to someone about it before you guys moved in together."

I shake my head, "there's nothing to talk about. Jamie is a great guy and I kind of wish I was into him because he'd be a great boyfriend...but he's _Jamie_."

"Lucy!" Martha's words cut the conversation off before it can go any further.

Martha!" I jump off of the swing and hurry toward her. In looks Martha is the complete opposite of Sookie, tall and rail thin, but beyond that she was exactly Sookie...a complete klutz, she can't walk without tripping over something, unless you get her on a stage and then the girl can dance.

"You're engaged," I announce as I hug her.

"I know!" Martha laughs as she steps back and then turns to the man she is standing next to, "Rocky, this is Lucy, Lucy my future husband Rocky."

Hours later I'm curled up in my bed in my own room and it's close to three a.m. and people have only just left. Jess, Ing and Jamie have gone over to the diner to sleep in the never used apartment that Dad lived in her decades. I'm socialized out and if I don't have to speak to another person for a month I'll be glad, but right now I'll settle for at least twelve hours. So when the light spreads into my room thanks to either my mother or father opening it I don't respond - faking sleep was something I was great at. It had gotten me out of enough arguments and lectures to prove itself useful.

"It's good to have her back home," my father's words indicated that both he and my mother are standing in the doorway, "even if it's just for tonight."

"Luke, I hate this," my mom's words are barely above a sigh. "This isn't the way it's supposed to happen. This, what we're going through right now, wasn't supposed to happen for another year."

"You're the one who didn't let me drag her home when we found that damn letter," the last half of the sentence is muffled because the door has been pulled closed but I can still hear the exchange easily. "I wanted to make her come home but you said that if we did that we'd only push her away."

"I know, but I've changed my mind. I changed my mind and I want to make her come home."

"Lorelai..."

"I don't know what to do Luke," Mom's words are tearful and I can't help the tears that spring to my eyes. "When Rory left she wasn't far away, she came home on weekends, but Lucy's far away and she's always been so..." Mom's words trail and Dad's response is too muffled for me to understand and within minutes I hear their steps and their voices on the stairs leading to their bedroom.

Sighing I roll onto my back as a single tear slips out of the corner of my eye and down my cheek. I hadn't felt guilty for leaving my parents before now and on top of the guilt of leaving them I now feel guilty for not feeling guilty sooner. Guilt is a horrible emotion. And I mean real guilt, not that "oh I feel guilty for eating that extra cookie" but the kind that twists your stomach and squeezes your heart until you can't breath.

I'd been so caught up in living my life that I hadn't though about what I was doing to my parents. Cutting them out of my life. Taking away their roll as parents with no warning. Making them feel like they were failures in some way. And all because _I_wanted to live _my_ life.

To say I didn't sleep last night would be an understatement to the highest degree. Guilt ridden to the point of feeling sick I'd given up sleep long before the sun came up. I attempted to amuse myself in my room but turning the radio on and flipping through my old photo albums only entertained me until six. So no, at six fifteen I stand right outside my parents open doorway, Dad's in the shower he'll open the diner today, late, because if he doesn't Stars Hollow will stage an uprising if they have to forgo Luke's two days in a row.

"Mom?" I creep into the room and crawl onto the bed mirroring an action I'd preformed for the first decade or so of my life.

"Luce..." The following words are a mix fo mumbled and yawns and I'm only have to understand sleep and bed.

"Mom, I have to talk to you," I'm expecting something between a demand for coffee or being shoved out of bed.

With a yawn Mom surprises me and rolls over to face me, "what's wrong Luce?"

I have to get the words out before I lose the nerve, I take a deep, calming, breath, "I'm sorry for what I did, just leaving in the middle of the night. It was stupid and childish and selfish and..." I have to take another breath before I say what I'd really come in to say, "and if you want me to come home and finish the year I will."

"Lucy," Mom sighs, "I don't want you to come back to a place you don't want to be. I've been right where you were when you left and I did the same thing."

"It's not because of you and Dad that I left."

"I know Lucy," Mom nods.

"But you said..." I stop quickly, I hadn't wanted my mom to know I'd overheard her words.

"You heard what I said to you dad?" Mom smiles, "you're more like me then you think Lucy. I knew everyone things that the whole reason I left with Rory was because of Richard and Emily. And yeah, of course they were part of the decision, but even more so it was because their world was so small. It wasn't the life I wanted. There was nothing there for me."

I bite my lip, had my mother really just expressed my exact sentiment?

"Lucy, I know you and everyone thinks that you are one hundred percent your father's daughter, but kid," she gently pushes my bangs out of my face. "You've got more of my spirit then you know, I knew it when you were born. You wanted the entire world. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep you in Stars Hollow for longer then necessary. And what you heard me say to your dad was just me having a hard time to adjust to how my life has changed, but I will don't worry. Now sleep, okay?"

I nod, "okay."

Mom's asleep immediately, leaving me alone to my thoughts. What she'd said about me being like my dad was true. Taylor told me once when I was younger that I was an extreme version of my father. I was, and still am, moody and overly zealous about health food. All in all an extreme version of everything that makes up Luke Danes without a drop of Lorelai Gilmore. I'd always taken that at face value. Mom is cheerful and a junk food addict and just plain crazy. Dad's polar opposite and mine as well. But maybe the extreme part of my personality came from my mom's spirit. And maybe we weren't as different as I've always believed.

* * *

**A.N. Ah...loose ends with Lorelai all tied up, right? I guess maybe. But don't count on the drama being over. Lucy moves in with Jamie next and we discover why he's been hiding the life he was raised in and what happens next!**


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

A.N. Sorry about the delay in the updating guys. If you've noticed I have two new stories and that took some of my attention but I promise I'll try to update this alternating with the other ones...as much as possible...the ideas for this one is slowing down, I know where I'm going but now sure how to get there...But just the same..This chapter is the last I have completely figure out but even if I have to pound my head against the wall there'll to get it there'll be an update soon! Keep review...reviews always make me update...so keep the reviews flowing and I hope you like it as we move onto a new drama...things are all tied about with Lorelai, but they're about to get complicated with Jamie.

* * *

Moving day came up more quickly then I would have expected, but by the time it came I know that everyone was glad for it to be there. Jess and Ing's apartment seemed to shrink daily, it really wasn't big enough for three grown people to live in comfortably. Mom and Dad had offered to come up with a bunch of my stuff from the house so they showed up at half passed six and Mom, who I expected to be asleep in the truck, was nearly off the walls. A confession from Dad revealed that he'd given her a ton of coffee just to get her to shut up about having to get up before five o'clock in the morning.

Mom and Ing were quite a pair throughout most of the morning, cheerfully chattering as they mostly directed their husbands on how and where they should be setting up the bed, dressed, desk and bookshelves in my new smallish room. Dad and Jess spent most of their time sighing and exchanging comments about their insane wives, but it was all familiar banter that I had grown up with and made me feel the most comfortable. Jamie stopped by on his lunch break (he'd opted to get out of moving by running the store for Jess for the day) and he's spent most of the time laughing at all of the exchanges, he wasn't used to the family yet, but I had the feeling that he would be soon by the hints Mom was dropping about coming to the city more often.

By the time dinner time rolled around all the furniture had been set up and all that was really left was unpacking for me. "That was exhausting," Mom flops into the couch in the living room that separates the two bedrooms and connects to the kitchen.

"Yes, I'm sure spending the last eight hours bossing us around was exhausting," Jess rolls his eyes.

"Oh it was," Ing laughs as she drops down beside mom.

"I'm ordering Chinese, what does everyone want?" I'd already dug through Jamie's kitchen drawers and found a stack of take-out menus.

"Let me see those," Mom holds her hand out to receive the stack and with a shake of her head, and a click of her tongue, she sighs, "there's no organization to this stack."

"It looks organized to me, more so then ours at home," Ing states.

"There are three Chinese food restaurants right next to each other," Mom insists, as if it was the ultimate sin. And growing up in her home I know that, to her at least, it is.

"Okay?" Ing looks puzzles.

"How are we supposed to know which has the best food? Best delivery service? There's no order here..we'd just be ordering blindly..."

"I guess we'll have to order from all three," Ing laughs, sometime she and my mom think so alike it's kind of scary.

"Now you're thinking!"

"Lorelai, what are we going to do with three orders of Cashew chicken?"

"Eat it," Mom gives Dad a 'duh' look at the comment before holding her hand out for the phone.

I hand her the phone before turning to my father, "you act like you haven't seen Mom each before."

Mom makes a face at me while she speaks to the first Chinese restaurant, but before she can dial the number for the next one the phone rings in her hand. She hands me back the phone with a smile, "your first call in your new place."

It is strangely exciting to take your first call in your first apartment, I mean I know that the call won't be for me but it's exciting nonetheless, "hello?"

"Yes, hello," the woman on the other line has a strong French accent but her English is impeccable. "Is James available?"

"He's not," I responds, "he's at work, but I can give him a message if you want."

"Who's this?"

"This is Lucy," I pause before adding, "Jamie's new roommate."

"Hm," the woman makes a disapproving sound, "well, Lucy will you please tell mey son that his mother wants him to call back as soon as possible."

"Sure," the woman's identity throws me off, I'd attempted to talk to Jamie about his family and his father when we got back from Stars Hollow after Christmas. But he'd refused to give me anymore information then Emily had already given me. "I mean, yes, of course, I'll give him the message as soon as he gets in."

"Thank you," the woman's response is clipped and she hangs up quickly.

"Who was that?" Mom asks once I've hung up as well.

"Jamie's mom," I hand the phone back to her, "make your calls Mom, I'm starving."

* * *

"Hey, you know, Lucy I hope you were able to make yourself comfortable while I was at work," Jamie greets when he walks into the apartment.

I'm settled on the couch with my feet curled up beneath me with my eyes glued to the TV, "hey, there's plenty of Chinese food in the fridge." Mom hadn't been able to carry out her promise to eat all of the food that she ordered and they'd left all of it here. What I was supposed to do with nine boxes of various meat containing Chinese food I couldn't tell you.

"Everyone's already gone?" Jamie asks as he crosses the short distance to the kitchen.

"Yeah, my mom and dad had to head home, Dad cut off Mom's coffee supply and Jess and Ing left...I think they're happy to have their couch back."

"Yeah, now your on my couch," Jamie teases.

"Well get used to it..."

"Jeez, when you said Chinese food I didn't realize you meant enough to feed the residents of your crazy hometown..."

"My Mom," I explain, "had to rank all of the Chinese take-out places you had menus for."

"Okay..." Jamie trails, obviously that's not enough of an explanation for him.

"Neo China has the best food, by the way, but China One has the best delivery," I add before turning my attention back to _The Waters_. I'm a teen drama addicted, I have no problem admitting it and it's impossible to tear me away from the TV whenever _The Waters_ is on.

"What are you watching?" Jamie asks wandering over once he's reheated some of the Chinese food.

"Shh," I hiss, "we're about to find out who Mischa will really choose, Joshua or Luke..."

"I can't believe you watch this crap," Jamie taunts.

I ignore his comment until the show ends, with no resolution to the triangle and only leaving us with a cliffhanger preview. "You're just going to have to adopt because I watch this show every week or I tape it."

"Jeez," Jamie sighs before taking a bite of his food.

"You're starting to sound like my dad and Jess," I comment but only receive a look in response. "Oh!" Suddenly I remember the call hours before, "your Mom called." Jamie doesn't respond and if he was farther away I would wonder if he'd heard me, "she sounded like it was important. I can give you some privacy if you want to talk here..."

Jamie sets his box of food down on the side table, "I've some reading to do."

"Aren't you going to call her?"

"No," is Jamie's simple, immediate, response as he heads toward his bedroom.

"But..." I begin only to be cut off by Jamie's harsh tone.

"Just stay out of it Lucy."

I throw my hands up in defense, I'd never heard Jamie snap before an dI had no intent to bring on roommate problems in less then 24 hours of moving in. But I've always had a curious nature and figuring out the situation between Jamie and his family was going to drive me crazy. There was one person I knew who could tell me the whole story. But I'm not about to give Emily the chance to throw in a lecture before giving me the information that I want.

With a sigh I realize that there is one other person who would be able to give me the information I wanted. Rory. She and Logan were like Richard and Emily the next generation and she would undoubtedly know something. I shut the TV off and move toward my room, where I know Jess has my laptop set up for me. The same lap top that I had hidden my bus ticket in, I'd used it no more then twenty times in the year that I'd had it. Just enough times to know how to use it.

Within minutes I have my email up and am starring at the overwhelming amount of emails waiting for me to check. Mostly chain letters and emails from friends back in Stars Hollow wondering how my move is going, by the looks of the subject lines. But I ignore all of it and open up a blank email, ten minutes later I hit the send button on my finished email. I'm not a fast typer so the quick email asking for information has taken longer then expected. But in the end it's done.

With a yawn I close the top of the lap top and glance around my room. It was slightly crammed, with more furniture then there probably needed to be but I wasn't around enough to use my room so it didn't really matter. Boxes take up all the extra space but I have no interest in tackling the job of unpacking, I'll do it tomorrow.


End file.
